The Stat Line Of The Night — 4/25/11 — Ian Kennedy

Heading into yesterday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to have a significant advantage in the pitching department as they sent Cliff Lee to the mound. Lee would go on to allow four earned runs over seven innings, but he was clearly the second best pitcher in this game. As for the best, that would be the Diamondbacks’ Ian Kennedy.

The 26-year-old righty dominated the Phillies’ batters all night, allowing three hits and no earned runs while striking out ten over nine innings. That performance was easily enough to give Kennedy his third victory of the season, as Arizona would go on to cruise to the 4-0 victory.

Pitching has not been a strong point for the Diamondbacks, as they currently rank 28th in the league with a 4.91 ERA this season. Their first task is to find an ace that can lead their starting rotation. If Kennedy can put together more performances like last night’s, he may be able to fill that role. For now, he earns our “Stat Line of the Night” for Monday, April 25, 2011.